To read Professor Marszalek`s book, Sherman and the Civil War Press, first published in 1981, and re-issued in `99 one would come away with the distinct impression that General Sherman was sitting in his tent at Paducah, at Pittsburg Landing, at Memphis, at Chickasaw Bayou etc., etc., wracking that quite outstanding brain of his, not on how to defeat the rebels but plotting the systematic downfall of all reporters. If asked to swallow Marszalek`s assertions and emphasis, the average reader might well find themselves putting down, what is afterall merely an extended thesis, something one might jot off for a P.hd, asking the question, how then did General Sherman manage to Capture Atlanta, make Georgia howl, and march 62,000 men through the Carolinas if he spent his every waking moment agonizing over " pestifirous newshounds" ? The answer is, of course, he didn`t! Lashing out at the reporters who crowded his camps merely to write up stories coloured by the personal views of the enlisted men and predjudiced by the self-glorifying comments of political generals such as John McClernand and Frank Blair was just one more aspect of Sherman`s multi-layed and complicated charactor. He was one of those people who throughly enjoy confrontation, he thrived on, was inspired by, what Londoners nowadays might term "aggro" - But Marszalek would have us believe that compared to the court martial of Knox and the discouraging of other scribblers the rebellion that was tearing his nation apart was a side show. The author portrays the General as wishing to muffle a free press - but if we put this desire into the context of this century`s conflicts, notably The Gulf War, we will realise just how vital, necessary it was to advocate General Sherman`s view - why should the enemy employ spies when the newspapers and T.V. are only too willing to share our military secrets? It is also important to remember, a fact that Marszalek conveniently forgets, that Mr Lincoln refused publishers the right to use the trains to transport their newspapers, even closed a couple when they came close to treason in their editorials. No one called him insane or obssessed. Much of this book is merely a fast track re-hash of Marszalek`s often inaccurate biography of the great General - inaccurate in fact and in analysis and conclusion. I would like to say that what the professor lacks in content and accuracy he makes up for in style - I would like to say it, but unfortunately I cannot, for Marszalek has no style. Stringing together sentances to make chapters, is not style. I wish the professor luck in finding another subject, I think he has taken this one as far as he can. It is fortunate for the professor and other Sherman biographers that the General is not alive today for he most certainly would have made THEM the object of his ire in a book to be entitled " Sherman`s third War - The General and Bad biographies." Since there was no " nil stars" rating I gave it one star for subject matter.

What a silly little book. I didn't find it all that funny. There are some wacky recipes interspersed here and there, like Suffering Succo-Cash and Bloodless Turnips. Some of the recipes looked midly appealing, but this is not a book you pick up because you're interested in the recipes. There has to be funnier IRS-related humor out there!